Amber’s Story

I am Amber Nyree Graham. My story with cancer started 25 years ago. At the age of thirteen, I was diagnosed with Gardners Syndrome.
This is an inherited disease from my paternal side. this disease mutates at the APC21 gene. This disease causes polyps to form in and along the G.I tract and can if not initially become cancerous. I was required to be treated by a G.I. Specialist and they would have me undergo upper and lower G.I. procedures several times a year where they would go in invasively to remove the polys. There would be anywhere from 20-60 polyps removed in a single setting treatment.

In March of 1991 I was located in Europe with my family I was a military kid my physician advised that the growth in the number of polyps that they were being removed was growing quite rapidly and it had caused great concern to the point that they ran a biopsy on the last removed polyps from my colon. the results were in and it was cancer, they only gave me 90 days due to the stage of the cancer of the polyps. It had now become mandatory that as soon as we made it back stateside that I was going to need to have a total colectomy due to cancer found in my colon. Once we arrived stateside I made it back to my hometown Galveston. We had to make it to Houston; Texas Children’s Hospital where I was taken in by my Pediatrician Physicians Dr. Bloss and Dr. Menephee.

I underwent the surgery where they removed my colon, spleen ascending, transverse and descending colon along with the anus. They also had to attach a colostomy while the man-made colon healed. It took 90 days for this to heal after which they completed the reversal whereas I no longer required the colostomy.

I had to give this history before going into the new findings of cancer that was found. So, October 18, 2017, I go the emergency room for assistance as I had been suffering from extreme abdominal pain and flank pain. Unable to hold down any food. They ran test drew blood ran CT scans to find that the cancer marker was back it was 385.

I was blown away as I thought because they removed the complete colon where the cancer was found that I would not have to deal with this ever again in life. However I was sadly mistaken, this time they found a tumor in the duodenum that was connected to my pancreas in the neighborhood of my gallbladder and liver; due to the location of the tumor, it was causing pain to my liver and gallbladder so much so that my lab values for these organs were in a critical state to the point they were not certain if they would be able to save my liver.

They did a few more studies and ran a few more test. The results showed that these values were off due to the location of the tumor and the degree of cancer in that tumor. The surgical oncologist stated that they would need to complete the Whipple procedure on me which would remove the gallbladder, relocate the duodenum to the rear side of the bottom of my stomach and remove a third of my pancreas.

Once the surgeon went in to complete the procedure they saw that the cancer was worse than they had anticipated so they had to compete a Whipple bypass as they were not able to remove the tumor as it showed that it had spread to multiple organs and they were not certain of the origin of this cancer. With that in mind they isolated the tumor and did a bypass removed the tumor from its original location and placed it out of the way within my abdominal cavity where it would not anger any other members of my digestive system.

This surgery was completed in the month of November. I started my chemotherapy regimen December 4, 2017, and it was spoken that I needed to complete six months of chemo or 12 treatments or the cancer marker needed to reduce to plus or minus five. My initial treatment went fine. Once I got home the side effects kicked in and I noticed that I was not able to touch or drink anything cold. I would have a numbing sensation on my fingertips or whatever touched the cold matter. This was totally new to me and required a massive adjustment mentally. Food began to taste quite different more like a substance or texture less like something enjoyable and more like a mandated duty. It was no longer fun to eat. It was no longer enjoyable. God dropped in my spirit at the beginning process “walking through the valley of the shadow of death but I shall fear no evil for thou art with me”. Every time the enemy tried to take me to a really dark place this is what I would hear.

This process shook the very foundation that I stood securely on it tested everything that I believed in, but one thing was for sure I knew that my God would never leave nor forsake me, I simply was trying to figure out what I was supposed to learn from this entire process. He answered me and said, “remember when you started the 21 days of productivity at your church and you asked me to strengthen your faith”…….. remember you asked to walk in signs miracles and wonders…. this process will release this in your realm. Are you ready???? I was like woo. looking at this process that I am currently still walking it is certainly a faith walk it is going to release signs miracles and wonders I believe this. For we are the kingdom and we have this power if we would only believe and release that which is on the inside of us.

So, it is now April I am now at my 9th treatment and my cancer marker has dropped from 385 to 38 remember plus or minus five is my goal. Also, that tumor that was stage 4 is completely gone. There is only duodenum thickening where the tumor once was. The lesion on the liver have shrunk and we are about to discuss surgical options for the removal of the remaining cancer cells. I am believing for a complete work a complete healing. and will be back to confirm that once it happens.

Calais’s Story

On November 2, 2015 our wonderful world was forever changed. Early one morning while getting our children ready for school I overhead my husband yelling at our three year old daughter Calais to respond to him. I innocently thought that she was not paying attention to him and was watching television but I quickly recognized the panic in my husband’s voice, and my daughter’s absent gaze, that she was having a seizure.

As if in slow motion, we quickly grabbed what we could and headed to Children’s Hospital. The car ride felt heavy as we raced through rush hour traffic. Something felt off. Calais threw up again in the back seat of the car and had yet another seizure.

I tried to call my mother, a nurse, for possible guidance and kept dropping the phone. She assumed a high fever was making her have a seizure. We discovered at the hospital that Calais had no fever and they would run some tests.

After some bloodwork that led to an MRI they called us into a room and said we would need to “gather our resources.” We went from having a child that was well at every visit, tracked early, walked and talked early to now being sick. They showed us preliminary MRIs and that she had a mass on her brain. She was later admitted and found to have a rare tumor that needed a careful operation. Now for the good part. Yes, there is a good part. A great part because God is very good.

Dr. Oliuigbo was the neurosurgeon that operated on her tumor. He brought skill, kindness and compassion along with his dedication to Calais. There is no way to thank him and the team enough. He removed 99% of the tumor and it had not spread. Minutes out of surgery she was feisty and eating and talking. This is a journey about BELIEVING. I will tell you all of the many Angels that visited me in the nighttime while I was in the hospital and told me to NEVER doubt. I won’t. I only believe, For Calais. She is a fighter. She has a story to tell. Just because a percentage or words say one thing, God sometimes has other plans. My heart is not only opened now to of course my child but to all of those beautiful children and warrior parents that I see. Thanks to all of the families that follow us and pray for us on our road to recovery. Believe. Believe. Believe. Amen.